Frame for pilot&#39;s seat



y 5, 1964 P. c. GUNN 3,131,971

FRAME FOR PILOTS SEAT Filed June 29, 1962 PAUL C. GUNN ATTORNEY .theoccupants feet do not touch the floor.

United States Patent 3,131,971 FRAME F03 PIZLQTS SEAT Paul Q. Gunn, FortWorth, Tern, assignor to Air Laboratory Service Co., Inc, Fort Worth,Tex., a corporation of Texas Filed dune 29, 1962, Ser. No. M96356 4Claims. (Q1. 25 7-44-9) This invention relates to chairs, generally, andhas reference to improvements in seats for operators of vehicles, forexample, pilots seats in aircraft. While such seats are provided withcushions or other resilient supports for comfort and to reduce fati ue,it has been found that additional flexible support is desirable,particularly when Even during mild undulations while in ihght, a personoccupying a seat with his feet on the floor subconsciously presses thefloor with his feet to compensate for relative increases in gravityforces. However, a pilot with his feet on certain of the aircraftcontrols does not have this advantage. Accordingly, an object of theinvention is to provide a pilots seat frame construction which isfiem'ble in part for supporting the pilot, and which flexibleconstruction is in addition to cushions ordinarily provided for thatpurpose.

An axiom of aircraf' design is that all parts must be of light weightwithout unduly sacrificing strength. Another object of the invention isto provide a frame for a pilots seat wherein spring means comprise apart of the frame itself without the addition of auxiliary springs orthe like.

A further and particular object of the invention is to provide alightweight and unusually strong frame for pilots seats, and whichstrength is derived, in part, by means of a compound bend in each of theside rails between the seat supports and the back portions of the siderails.

These and other objects will become apparent from the followingdescription and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective View of a frame for a pilots seat inaccordance with the invention.

FIGURES 2 and 3 are, respectively, side elevation and top plan views ofFIGURE 1. a

The exemplary form of the invention shown includes a back frame ithaving generally vertical parallel side members 11 which are connectedat their upper ends by a cross member 12. Except for certain plates tobe described, all parts are of tubular material and are assembled bywelding. On the back of each side member 11 at and near the lower endsthereof there are upper and lower mounting plates 13 and 14 forattaching the herein described frame to a vertically adjustable seatsupporting frame, not shown. A vertically projecting shoulder strapguide 15 is shown on the upper center of the member 12, but since theguide does not comprise a part of the invention it is not hereindescribed in detail.

The primary feature of the invention resides in the side rails 16 whichare connected with the upper corners of the back frame 10, extendforwardly and are curved downwardly to provide back supports 17; thelower portions of the back supports 17 are curved downwardly andrearwardly and downwardly and forwardly, as designated at S, and thencehorizontally and forwardly to provide seat supports 18; the forwardportions of the seat supports 18 are curved downwardly and rearwardly,thence slightly upwardly where they are joined with the forwardlyextending ends of tubular horizontal side rail supports 19, the rearends of which are connected with the Vertical back frame members 11.

The seat supports 18 of the side rails 15 are maintained parallel witheach other by a cross frame 20 connected between the rail supports 19and rearwardly disposed 3,131,971 Patented May 5, 1964 arcuate spacerbars 21 connected, one above the other, with lower portions of thecompound curves S. As particularly shown in FIGURE 3, the spacer bars 21do not touch the back frame 10. It is also pointed out that neither thedepending curved forward portions of the seat supports 18 nor the crossframe 20, which is concave, touch the floor, not shown.

(Ether details of the pilots seat frame as shown include vertical spacerbars 22 between the side rail supports 19 and the seat supports 18,harness attaching plates 23 mounted on the seat supports 18 and spacerbars 22, and additional spacer bars 24 between the upper portions of theback frame side members 11 and the upper portions of the side rails 16.As will become apparent, the spacer bars 22 and 24 do not interfere withthe operation of the invention, but have a damping effect on the springaction inherent in the described construction.

The seat supports 18 and their connected supports 19 and back supports17 comprise a cantilever suspension for a seat or cushion mounted onsaid seat supports. The described construction particularly lends itselfto seats and backs, not shown, of stretched fabric, but conventionalcushions or pads may be used instead. The weight of the person occupyingthe seat tends to spring the seat supports downwardly with theconnections of the side rail supports 19 with the vertical members 11acting as fulcrums. Compression loads are transferred to the backsupport portions 17 of the side rails 16, and, at the same time, thecompound curves S provide additional flexibility at the curvature of theoccupants spine, thus materially lending to the comfort of the occupant.

The invention is not limited to the exemplary construction herein shownand described, but may be made in various ways within the scope of theappended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A frame for a seat comprising:

a generally vertical back,

elongate side rails of spring material connected with the top of saidback at the sides thereof and extending forwardly and downwardlytherefrom, each said side rail including a generally vertical backportion,

a forwardly extending seat support portion,

a compound curve portion connecting said seat support portion with saidback portion, and

side rail supports connecting the forwardly extending ends of said seatsupport portions with said back above floor level.

2. A frame for a seat as defined in claim 1, and wherem:

said compound portion extends rearwardly where it connects with saidback portion, and forwardly where it connects with said seat supportportion.

3. A frame for a seat as defined in claim 1, and includmg:

spacer bars between said seat support and said side rail support, andbetween back portion and said back support.

4. A flame for a seat comprising:

a generally vertical back,

elongate side rails of spring material connected with the top of saidback at the sides thereof and extending forwardly and downwardlytherefrom, each said side rail including a generally vertical backportion,

a forwardly extending seat support portion,

a compound curve portion connecting said seat support portion with saidback portion,

said compound curve portion extending rearwardly where it connects withsaid back portion, and forwardly where it connects with said seatsupport portion,

7 side rail supports connecting the forwardly extending ends of saidseat support portions with said back above floor level, and

spacer bars between said seat support and said side rail support, andbetween back portion and said back 5 support. I

References Cited in 4 the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSFerreira et a1. Apr. 26, 1938 McArthur July 28, 1942 Robins Oct. 18,1949 Meneghelli Jan. 28, 1958

1. A FRAME FOR A SEAT COMPRISING: A GENERALLY VERTICAL BACK, ELONGATESIDE RAILS OF SPRING MATERIAL CONNECTED WITH THE TOP OF SAID BACK AT THESIDES THEREOF AND EXTENDING FORWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY THEREFROM, EACHSAID SIDE RAIL INCLUDING A GENERALLY VERTICAL BACK PORTION, A FORWARDLYEXTENDING SEAT SUPPORT SPRTION A COMPOUND CURVE PORTION CONNECTING SAIDSEAT SUPPORT PORTION WITH SAID BACK PORTION, AND SIDE RAIL SUPPORTSCONNECTING THE FORWARDLY EXTENDING ENDS OF SAID SEAT SUPPORT PORTIONSWITH SAID BACK ABOVE FLOOR LEVEL.